Grid for cotton-picker machines.



N0. 866,234 PA TENTED SEPT. 17, 1907. A. ST. ONGE & G. A. BROWN. GRIDFOR COTTON PIOK ER MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMASA ST ONGE AND OLEMENTS A. BROWN, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

GRID FOR GOTTON-PICKER MACHINES.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1'7, 1907.

Application filed May 14,1906. Serial No. 316,891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, AMASA ST. ONGE and (humans A. BROWN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at the city of Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Ithode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Grids for Cotton-Picker Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to grids for cotton picker machines, and consistsof the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter described and claimed.

The objects of our invention are to provide loosely mounted blades ofpeculiar shape for grids for such machines and to adjust su'ch bladessimultaneously to a greater or less degree of aperture, at will.

In the accompanying drawings like reference numerals indicate likeparts.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of acotton picker machine, including the beater, the feed-rolls, the apronand a grid constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is afragmentary view of a portion of our improved grid, showing in fulllines and-in dotted lines, respectively, the two positions of the bladesand also illustrates the form of said blades. Fig. 3 is a view, partlyin section and partly in side elevation showing the blades in one oftheir adjusted positions, together with the means of moving andadjusting said blades. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the blades andadjusting means in another position. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional detailview, as 'seen on section line 5-5. of Fig. 4.

In the drawings only so much and such parts of a cotton picker machineare illustrated as relates to the mounting and operation of the improvedmechanism constituting our invention.

In the drawings 1. represents the beater of the usual form, mounted on ashaft 2. The beater and shaft revolve in the direction of the arrow A.Two feed rolls 3, 3, are in the usual position and are operated in theusual manner, and deliver the cotton to the action of the beater.

The usual apron 4 is arranged below the beater l, and the grid, whichconstitutes our invention, is disposed between the end of the apron 4and the feed rolls 3, 3.

The grid has two oppositely arranged parallel side pieces, plates orcastings 5, which extend longitudinally on the frame of the machine.Each side plate 5 has twodownwardly extending brackets 6 and 7, whichhave holes therein toallow bolts Sand 9, respectively, to pass throughsaid brackets into the frame of the machine, to support said side platesin position. Each side plate 5 is curved, as shown, the upper curvatureand lower curvature being parallel with each other, and both concentricwith the shaft 2.

The upper ends of the side plates 5, adjacent to the brackets 6, areplaced just below the lower feed roll 3, as illustratedin Fig. 1. Eachside plate 5, on the exposed face thereof, at the outer edge, has alongitudinally extending flange 10, which flange is also extended aroundboth ends of said side plate and is formed into a terminal horizontallug 11. A set screw 12 passes through a tapped hole in the lug 11 andsecures the end of the apron 4 in position against a block 13.

On each side plate 5, on the exposed face thereof, is cast or. secured aseries of stationary lugs 14, arranged in a curved line, parallel to theupper and lower edges of said side plate. Each lug 14 is in the form, incross section, of a truncated isosceles triangle, the truncated apexthereof being directed downwardly. These lugs 14 are spaced at equaldistances apart.

A curved notched plate 15 has a series of teeth 16, each of which teethhas equally beveled longitudinal sides, as shown. The notched plate 15has feet 17, by which it is supported slidably on the upper edge of theflange 10, adjacent to the lower edge of the side plate 5.

A bolt 18 extends down from the central foot or flange 17 of eachnotched plate 15, through a slot 19 in the flange 10 of the side plate5. A nut 20, engageable with the bolt 18, serves, when tightened up onthe bolt 18, to hold the notched plate 15 in, any position to which it,is adjustably set. A washer 21 is interposed between the nut 20 and theflange 10 to aid the said nut to get a frictional held against saidflange. The extent of the slot 19 determines the limit of the movementof the notched plate 15 in such adjustment.

The blades 22, which constitute the grate bars or grid, are arranged inseries between the fixed lugs 14 and have their lower ends (which arerounded) seated in the notches, which are formed between the teeth 16 ofthe notched plate 15. These blades 22, which are shown in cross-sectionin the several figures of the drawing, extend across the machine fromside to side, and rest on the notched plates 15, 15.

As seen in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, but most plainly in Fig. 2, on an enlargedscale, each plate 22 consists of a straight body portion, having a lowerrounded edge 23, and on the upper bent end 24, substantiallydiamondshaped in cross-section, terminating in a sharp whipping edge 25.As seen in Fig. 2, when the blades 22 are in the position shown in fulllines, they are farther apart than when they are in the position shownin dotted lines, such difference in position being caused by the slidingmovement of the notched plates 15 at the opposite ends of said blades,respectively. The bladesv 22 can, by means of adjusting the notchedplates 15, 15, be made to assume any degree of angular direction withinthe limits allowed by the position of the bolt 18 in the slot 19 on eachside of the machine.

A flange 26 on the upper edge of each side plate 5 (see Fig. 5) preventsthe blades 22 from rising above the plates.

By examination of Figs. 3 and 4 and on comparison of by means of thesliding notched plates 15', 15, such spaces of the blades apart' give anarrow or broad clearance for this purpose, to any desired degree withinthe limits already described. This angularity of the blow upon thecotton with respect to the position of the whipping edges of the bladesgives the requisite degree of bluntness or sharpness to the stroke ofthe beater upon the cotton fibers for the purpose of cleaning themaccording to their grade or length of staple.

It is evident upon study oi Fig. 2, that the blades 22, in moving fromthe position shown insolid lines to the position shown in dotted lines(or vice versa), necessarily slide along the top angular edge of theadjacent lug 14, and at the same time rock on their rounded lower edges,to a small extent, which are seated loosely in the spaces between theteeth 16 of the notched plates 15, 15.

When the upper or whipping edge of each blade 22 is in the open positionshown in Fig. 3, said whipping edge is more nearly at a right angle withthe end of the beater 1, but when the blade is in the closed positionseen in Fig. 4 said edge is at an acute angle with the end of thebeater.

As seen in Fig. 2, when the blades 22 are in their open position, showntherein by full lines, the righthand corner or edge of thediamond-shaped head 24 of the blade is in the same horizontal plane withthe left. hand corner or edge of the diamond-shaped head of the nextblade adjacent toward the right; but when the said blades are in theirclosed position, shown in said figure by dotted lines, the right-handcorner or edge of the diamond-shaped head of one of the blades isconsiderably lower than the left-hand corner or edge of thediamond-shaped head of said next adjacent blade, so that the aperture orclearance between said two contiguous blades in a vertical line is muchdiminished.

As usual in such machines, the air-currents (caused by a fan, notshown), which pass up between the blades 22 and serve to lift and carrythe cleaned cotton over and along the top of the blades, such cottonbeing in a loose, light, iluffy sheet, the dislodged motes, seeds, andforeign substanees,.ialling through the space between the plates, which,if the blade or bar were tri- 'angularin cross-section, as usual, mightbe carried upward by the air currents, are prevented from thus moving bymeans of the shoulder on each blade formed by the lower right-hand faceof the diamond-shaped head 24 of the blade, and so are enabled to fallentirely through the grid into a proper receptacle.-

We claim as a novel and useiuliinvention and desire to secure byLetters-Patent":-

1. The improved grid for cotton picker machines herein described,consisting of the combination of the two curved side plates, each havinga lateral flange projecting from the lower edge thereof; means forsupporting said side plates in position; a plurality of stationary,equi-spaced lugs in series upon each side plate, which are substantiallytriangular in cross-section, with the bases thereof constituting theirupper edges, respectively; a curved notched plate slidably mounted onsaid flange of each side plate and providedwith beveled teeth and aseries of blades each loosely mounted between said stationary lugs inabutment therewith respectively and adapted to have a longitudinalsliding movement thereon to a limited 'extent, each of which blades hasa rounded bottom and is seated thereby in corresponding spaces betweenthe teeth of the notched plates, respectively.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination 0t two curvedside plates arranged parallel and 0p posite to each other; a curvednotched plate supported on each side plate and movable thereon; fixed,triangular, equi-spaced lugs in the curved row on each of said plates;and a plurality of separate blades mounted only at their bottom endsloosely between corresponding teeth of said notched plates so as to havea limited oscillation thereon and extending up loosely between saidfixed lugs.

3. In a device of the character described the combination of two curvedside plates, each having a curved row of triangular, equi-spaced,integral lugs; a curved notchedplate supported on each side plate andmovable thereon; and a plurality of separate grid-bars, each having anupper, sharp and forwardly-directed edge, and each loosely resting onits bottom edge between corresponding teeth 0t- AMASA ST. ONGE.

- CLEMENTS A. BROWN.

Witnesses Geo. W. CAMPBELL, E. F. .TAMnsoN.

